CBI probes 2G case in NDA regime, names Airtel, Voda in chargesheet

The CBI today filed a charge sheet in connection with alleged irregularities in spectrum allocation during the NDA regime involving three telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India, while pegging the loss at Rs 846 crore.

The CBI in its charge sheet filed before Special CBI Judge O P Saini named as accused Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone India Ltd and Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular, retired IAS and former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh for alleged irregularities in grant of additional spectrum.

All the accused have been booked for criminial conspiracy and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

All the accused have been booked for criminial conspiracy and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act. AFP

J R Gupta, former Deputy Director General (VAS) cell of DoT and former Director of BSNL, who was named in the FIR as one of the accused, has been made as one of the 73 witnesses in the case, the CBI told the court.

The agency said no action has been taken against former telecom minister Pramod Mahajan and no charges have been found against the promoters of Airtel and Vodafone.

The court has fixed January 14 for consideration of the charge sheet.
The CBI had last year registered cases against the companies, two former telecoms ministry officials and others, over alleged irregularities in airwave grants during the previous government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now in opposition.

Shares in Bharti Airtel fell as much as 3.2 per cent o amid speculation that police may file charges against the country's top mobile phone carrier as part of a broader case involving alleged irregularities in airwave allocations.